Cigarette case



July 13, 1948. w. A. FENCE CIGARETTE CASE FiledNov. 24, 1944v INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 13, 1948 William A. Pence, Adell, Wis., Kress Company, West Bend,

of Wisconsin assignor to Enger- Wis., a corporation Application November 24, 1944, Serial No. 564,924 4 claims. (o1. zoe-41.2)

l My invention relates to improvements in cigarettecases.

`The primary object of my invention is to provide a neat, attractive, and inexpensive cigarette case which will adequately protect the contents from damage, and also prevent the discharge of tobacco litter from the ends of the cigarette.

More particularly stated, it is my object to provide a cigarette case adapted to receive a cigarette package and having a one-piece leather coverv completely closed about the package except at the top, .and having a top `portion provided with an infolded'false wall having a dispensing opening normally covered by an outer or top wall inthe form of a closure flap or hinged cover, which may be raised to permit the Withdrawal of a single cigarette' or to permit the withdrawal of the false top wall when the contents are to be replenished.

Further objects are to having novel and improved constructional features whereby the withdrawal aperture extends slightly from the top into the front; and the reenforcing cardboard is notched out to receive a tab of the closure flap; and other improvements are afforded as will hereinafter be disclosed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved cigarette case.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the upper portion of the case, showing the hinged cover withdrawn to expose at least one cigarette for withdrawal.

`,Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing all of the top flaps retracted to .permit replenishment ofthe contents. y

Figure 4 is a view, on va reduced scale, of a leather blank, cut, shaped, and prepared for folding about a liner to produce my improved cigarette case.

Figure 5 is a perspective View, also on a reduced scale, of a liner adapted to determine the shape of the receptacle, and about which the blank shown in Figure 4 may be folded.

Figure 6 is a sectional view, drawn to line I-B of Figure 1.

Like parts are identifledby the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The form of my improved cigarette case is primarily determined by a liner shown in Figure 5, and which comprises an open-ended box, preferably formed of one or more plies of cardboard, with the front wall IIJ and side walls II extending the entire length of the box but with the upper portion of the back wall I2 out away to provide a tongue receiving notch I3.

provide a cigarette case A soft, thin leather blank having the form illustratedin Figure 4 is folded about the liner, from bottom to top, with the portion l5 closing the lower end of the liner and forming a bottom wall, theportion I6 covering the front wall, the portion I'I Icovering the back wall I2, and the portion I8 covering the notch I3.

The laterally projecting portions 20 of the leather blank are folded to .covering positions on the side walls II of the liner, vthe lower ilaps 2l being turned inwardly upon the upper surface of the bottom portion I5 and cemented thereto. The sideriiaps 22 are turned inwardly between the liner and the inner surface of the front wall I6,

and cemented to the surfaces with which they are then brought in contact, and the upper end naps 23 are normally turned inwardly over the contents of the'case adjacent to the liner side walls II.

The two-ply portion 25 of the blank serves as an interior cover upon which the portion 26 of the other end of the blank may be superposed as an outer cover or top wall for the case. These cover portions 25 and 25 are creased at their junctions with vthe front and back wall portions I6 and I8, respectively, thus providing hinge joints or folding lines, whereby these cover portions may readily swing upwardly as illustrated in Figure 3. e

The portion 21 at t e lower end of the blank is adapted to enter the notch I3 in the back wall of the liner, and the portion 28 at the upper end of the blank may be folded downwardly upon the outer face of the front wallwith the tongue 29 retained by a strap 30 of ordinary type. The strap 30 has its vendstucked through slits in the front wall Iits ends 3| being cemented yto the inner face of said wall, as indicated in Figure 4.

All parts of the blank shown in'Figure 4 in direct contact with the liner are secured thereto, preferably by a suitable cement.

Both end portions of the blank shown in Figure 4 are made double ply by folding the leather strip upon itself with the unnished surfaces turned inwardly and cemented together, thus reenforcing these movable inner and outer cover portions.

The portion 25 is provided with an aperture 35 through which at least one cigarette, preferably only one at a time, may be withdrawn. This aperture is so located that one marginal portion extends slightly into the upper end of the front wall IS to facilitate withdrawal of the exposed cigarette.

My improved cigarette case is adapted to be carried in a vest pocket of the user. Due to the liner, it has sufficient rigidity to protect the contents from damage. Being completely sealed except at the top, it retains all litter, and the inner Icover 25, with its downturned flap 21 fitted to liner notch I3, prevents any material scattering of litter, when the outer cover 28 is raised to the Figure 2 position. But when thecontents are to be replenished, a lifting of both covers 26 and 25, together with the flaps 23., as shown in Figure 3, opens the entire upper end for that purpose.

As shown by the stippling in Figure 4, the sections IS, 25, 23, 2, 28 and 29, exposed in the nished case, have a grained surface. To hold the front I3 of the case to the front I0 ofthe reenforcing cardboard shell, I extend flap 33 from the inner ply of portion 25 of the blank and glue Due `to the fact that the reinforcing liner extends only about the sides of the cigarette case, the leather bottom wall thereof retains its flexibility, and through the ilexible leather of` the bottom wall i5 and the `flexible paper of the contained .package the pressure of the users fingers may be exerted to r-aise or assist in ejecting cigarettes from the dispensingv opening 35.

I claim:

'1. A cigarette ease comprising the combinationwith a form-maintaining liner, rectangular in `cross section and open at top and bottom, of aV strip of soft leather having end porti-ons folded upon itself with unfinished surfaces cemented together and having lateral extensions intermediate of its ends provided with marginal side and end flaps, the central portion of said strip of leather being folded about the open bottom of the liner and portions of said leather strip adjacent said central portion being upturned and cemented to the front and rear walls of the liner, one of the end portions of said strip being aperturedandextended over the open upper end of the reenforcing liner and downwardly on its rear side and the other end portion of the strip normally overlapping `the apertured end portion and detachably engaged withl the front wall of the case, said lateral extensions of the strip being folded to covering -positions over the side walls of the reenforcing member and cemented thereto with their marginal side aps inturned and cemented to the inner surfaces ofV an upturned` `leather strip portion, and their lower end aps inturned and cemented to the inner surfaces of the leather bottom;

2. A cigarette case comprising the combination with aform-maintaining liner, rectangular in cross section and open at top and bottom, of a covering ystripl of lleXible material extending across the lower end of the liner and upwardly along the front and rear walls, one end of the this flap to the inside of the cardboard front below the top and end portions of the strip being cemented to each other to form a sealed receptacle substantially as described.

3. A cigarette case as described in claim 2, in which the upper portion of the back wall of the liner is cut away to provide a recess for reception of one end of the covering strip.

4. A case of the described class, comprising the combination with a box-like liner open at top and bottom, of `a stripv of leather folded about the open lower end of the liner and upwardly along its front and rear surfaces and cemented thereto, the strip portion covering the open lower end of the liner forming a -iif'exible bottom arranged to initiate ejection of a cigarette from the case on upward flexion of the bottom, said leather strip having laterally projecting portions folded over theside walls of the liner and cemented thereto, and also having flaps infolded and cemented to the inner surfaces ofthe bottom and front portions of said strip, cover portions hingedly connected with'opposing walls in said strip and adapted tobe folded from opposite sides into su-perp'osedV relation overl theycontents of the case, and retaining means 'for normally holding said cover portions in closed position, the inner cover portion being provided with an aperture in `juxtaposition to :its hinge connection, of a size to'permit withdrawal of asingle cigarettel when the outer cover is raised.

1 .WILLIAMA FENCE.

REFERENCES CITED- The following references are ofrecord in the le of this patent:

UNITED `STATES PATENTS 

